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Tips and Motivation for Reaching Your Goals
Fitness | August 31, 2015
If you did my recent Arm Balance Challenge workout then you would have seen this incredible picture of Magda doing the one-legged wheel pose. She sent me this really sweet note with it taking about not being able to do this just one month ago! She is now able to do it because she put her mind to it, worked toward it and now has accomplished her goal. This got me thinking about setting goals…
So much of the ZGYM is about setting goals… whether it’s weight loss, body fat reduction or gains in strength and endurance, everyone has something their trying to accomplish. Lately though, I’ve been reading and thinking about goals in a slightly different way. Maybe these tips can help inspire you today, tomorrow or even weeks from know 🙂
Have A Plan, Of Course!
Having a plan is goal-setting 101. Without one you’ll probably end up lost, confused and, worse, more likely to quit. If you have a specific goal in mind – say, accomplishing a pistol squat, running a 5K or shedding excess fat – it’s imperative that you set up a proper plan. As most of you already know my workouts already provide an easy plan to follow as you progress with me.
Aim Past The Target
Aiming past the target was a very important concept that the likes of Muhammad Ali, the world famous boxer, used to near perfection during his heyday as a heavyweight fighter. He often said that he never aimed for his opponent’s head but past it. This ensured that his punches landed and with authority!
This is also very important when setting goals. Don’t reach for the desired result, reach past it. In other words, if you want to consistently run 3 miles for an upcoming 5K train for 5 miles. If you want to do 5 pistol squats with perfect form on each leg aim for 10 instead. It may sound a bit strange, but you’re tricking your mind and body to reach past your goal so that your actual goal seems more attainable. It also keeps your drive alive and vital. I hear women underestimate themselves constantly and part of the reason is not pushing past their goals, but settling in right behind them.
Smell The Roses
I do have to mention that when we strive, struggle and fight to reach our goals and blow past them we should also be very aware to also relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Don’t get so caught up on constantly trying to make progress that you forget to congratulate yourself for all your hard work with me. You owe it to yourself 🙂
With summer nearing an end, what are your fitness goals for the fall? Do you have any other major goals in the near future? Share away! I love hearing from you guys!
Private Member |
Zu! What happened to the dip station workouts? I don’t see them lately. Should I avoid buying one? or should I get it cause you will be doing workouts with it? Please let us know!
Private Member |
cambridgeshire, england, uk
This weekend just gone I did a 100k walk for charity, I started at 8am on Saturday morning and walked all the way through the night and finished at 8am on Sunday morning. The reason I’m saying this is because I have never challenged myself to anything like this before, however I have been through a tough couple of years losing 5 babies so I wanted to raise money for the miscarriage association, not only have I raised money for a great cause but I feel I have learnt a lot about myself in terms of mental strength, I never for one moment allowed myself to think I couldn’t do it, I just pictured myself crossing the finish line! When I reached 94k I started jogging, and let me tell you if there is one thing in the world I’m not good at, it is long distance running, nevertheless I ran all the way to the finish line! So my new challenge to myself is to start running, slowly increasing the distances and enter the London Marathon!
P.s I’m also absolutely loving the arm balance series, I really don’t want it to end! So I’m thinking of joining a yoga class so I can carry on with it after the series finishes! Thanks for introducing and teaching me this Zuzka! Xx
Good luck to all the Warriors on their personal goals and challenges! 🙂
Private Member |
rutland, vt, usa
Wow Amanda! reading you post gave me goose-bumps. You are the definition of a true Warrior! go for it! London is waiting! Thanks for sharing your story, anything I complain about seems so ridiculous… I will be cheering for you until you ride to entered the marathon! 🙂 I feel so fortunate to have found your Zgym Zuzka! and proud of becoming part of this wonderful community. Thanks to all for being there fighting together!
Private Member |
cambridgeshire, england, uk
Aww thanks Monica, that’s very sweet of you! I’m going to start training next week after my body has had time to rest from last weekend! Can’t wait! This really is a fantastic community with many inspirational people, I feel proud to be part of it too! Xx 🙂
Private Member |
That’s so incredible Amanda!! 100 k is amazing! It’s so inspiring that you can turn a devastating loss into something so positive for others… Also a testament to the power of visualization and inner strength <3
Private Member |
cambridgeshire, england, uk
Thank you Jaya, you’re absolutel right, with the right visualisation and inner strength you can take on anything! 🙂 xx
Private Member |
I guess I would say my main goal is to lose weight and finally reach my goal weight. Other goals that go hand-in-hand with my main goal are: stay consistent with workouts and eating right, finally be able to do a pistol squat (they look challenging but so much fun!), and keeping my water intake as high as it should be.
Although there is a lot of focus on getting a ‘beach-ready body,’ for me the fall and winter months are just as important. I love the fall and winter fashions that are flattering and comfy. I don’t need to pile all those extra layers on top of my own extra layers, so it’s a continued motivation for me to kick my butt in gear and not lose sight of why I’m doing everything I’m doing!
Private Member |
Thank you Zuzka, I loved the tips, especially the one about thinking past the target. That makes sense. It is freeing ourselves about our minds limitations.
Smelling the roses and enjoying the journey is also something important that we often forget when reaching our goals.
Lots of love,
Heidi
Private Member |
Thank you, Zuzka. I really needed this today.
Private Member |
Hi Zuzka!
After travelling and working in a remote area for 5 months I let my fitness drop and working became my highest priority. I know it is not much of an excuse, I have done more training when I couldn’t walk, but I guess I am only human, and to me that’s okay ;-). I still got out for runs to get a good sweat and enjoy the outdoors thankfully !
Now that I am back in school I am ready to get fit again. My goal it to get back into a rhythm of working out every day, with or without you, consistency is key! My other goals are to focus on eating healthy by removing processed sugar from my diet and eating whole unprocessed foods. With these two goals in mind I think I can achieve even better results than before and be a healthier, fitter, and leaner me!
Thanks for keeping me motivated!
Kali